Light reflecting sign



Patented Feb. 16, 1937 PATENT OFFICE 2,011,294 I LIGHT arr-aroma SIGN Edward H. Ransom-Rochester, NZY assignor 'to General Railway Signal Company, Rochester Application June2, 1933, Serial No. 674,053

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in luminous signs. and more particularly to signs of the type which are rendered luminous by reflection from an external source of light.

In protecting highw'aytraflic crossing railway tracks, it is often necessary to provide a sign 1 along the highway such as for display s information concerning the number of tracks to be description thereof progresses, during which, refcrossed. It then becomes desirable to illuminate such signsby' a means which is entirely dependable as well as economical inmaintenance and operation.

In view of the above and other considerations,

it is proposed in accordance with the present invention to provide a sign which is rendered luminous by an improved form of cataphotes or light reflecting buttons arranged in the sign so as to reflect light directed thereon by automobile head lamps and the like. It is'proposed to provide such a light reflecting button which is substantially indestructible and impervious to the entrance of moisture or other foreign material:

It is further proposed to construct a reflector e button which is a rmit structure adapted'for'convenient installation in such signs so that perfect alignment-oi reflecting surfaces is assured.

Other objects, purposes. and characteristic features of the'present invention will appear as the erences will be made to the accompanyin drawing which shows the invention in a anner to make it easily understood rather th a view of showing the particular construe preferably employed in practice. and in which:-

Fig. 1 showsa typical application of a sign .oonstr'ucted inaccordance with the present inventioni Fig. 2 is a plan sectional view of a detafl of the presentinvention.

l'ig..8 is a plan sectional view "of a modified form of the detail shown .in Fig. 2 also constructed in accordance with the present invention.

clearly show-its construction.

rig. 4 is a partial front elevational view or the present invention with parts removed to more m. s is a plan section of Fig. 4 taken on line H and viewed in the direction indicatedbythe arrows.

.In the accompanying drawing. the present si n is shown as formed on a metal background B by attaching hollow metal characters thereto such as the letters "T" .and "R shown in Fig. 4.

These" characters may be secured to the baclrground 3 by rivets t passing through the background B and through thin lugs I which maybe integralwith the hollow characters. The characters of the sign are preferably painted to contrast with the color of the background B for good daytime observation of the sign, such as for ex- 5 ample, the characters may be white and the background B and lugs I may be black. The faces of the characters have a series of- .holes I therein to form the general outline of each character in the manner shown "in the let- 1o ter R'! of. Fig. 4. These holes 8 may be threaded to recelve a threaded portion of one form of reflector buttons L in the manner shown in the letters "T" in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5.

It is contemplated that the reflector buttons L may be constructed in either of the two general forms shown herein, the form shown in Fig. 2 comprising a general cup-shaped metal reflector unit- 9 with a light transmitting material It molded therein. The inside of the back of the reflector unit 9 is 'a concave polished or silver-ed surface so'as to form an efllcient reflector for external lightdirected thereon. The light transmitting material it is molded to the inside of x-the reflector 9 so "as to form a convex front surface I0 .The cylindrical side Portion 9 of the reflector unit in Fig. 2 is threaded for mounting in the face of the letters of the sign as shown in Fig.5.- and an annular rib 9' is provided in front of this so threaded portion 9 to form a shoulder resting against-the face of the letter when the reflector button is in place. The threaded portion of the reflector also serves as a grip for holding the molded light transmitting material Ill within the as reflector unit 9 and is effective to diffuse light which otherwise would be reflected from this cylindrical side portion of the reflector.

A modified formof reflector button is shown in Fig. 3, which comprises a'metal' reflector unit 40 II which is also of a general cupeshape construc-' tion similar tothe reflector .9 of Fig. 2; and is filled with a molded light transmittin material ii in the same manner as the reflector button shown in Fig. 2. This form of reflector button shown in Fig. 3. however, is 'not provided with a threaded cylindrical side portion, but is arranged to be pressed into snugly'fltting holes in .the face of the letter so that an annular rib H rests against the front surface of the letter to.

' thereby insureperfect alignment of the reflecting surfaces. of all such reflector buttons when assembled on a'uniform flat surface. The concave rear portion of the reflector button in Fig.

3 is also either polished metal or slivered for- I.

reflectinglightrayabuttheinnersurfaceofthe cylindricalside ll'isroughenedsuchasbysand blasting. This sand blasted surface of the side ll isprovided-forthe purposeof diffusing rays s of light striking the cylindrical side portion .of

the reflector and to provide a gripping surface for the moulded light transmitting material I! the same as is effected by the threaded portion 0 of the reflector button shown in Mg. 2.

Mp2 and Fig. 8 respectively may be glass, resin, a thermoplastic cellulose composition or any other moldable material which possesses a high light transmitting quality.

A means for applying a sign constructed in the manner described to a railway signalling system for conveying .certain information to highway traflic is shown in Fig. l. A sign B-constructed" from each of such reflector buttons thereby re sulting in a uniform illumination of each character of the sign.

A luminous sign has thus been providedwhich is rendered visible at night by light reflecting buttons arrangedto form the general outline of the characters of the sign, and these light re-' fleeting buttons are each rendered luminous by an external source of light reflected by a polished metal surface through an integral lens of high light transmitting quality. The present form of light reflecting buttons has the advantage of being a unit structure whichis unaifected by weather conditions in as much as moisture cannot enter between the reflector and the lens or light transmitting material held therein, which as otherwise may 'enter the reflector button and -causeccrrosionofthereflectingsurfaceand reduce the emciency of the reflector. The arrangement for mounting the reflector buttons The light Mam: material is and n m" amines in the face of the sign also permits uniform reflection of light rays from each of such reflector. buttons in as much as perfect alignment of the reflecting surfaces of each is assured.

Having thus shown and described my invention, what I claim is:-

1. In a light reflecting unit, a cylindrical member closed at its inner end and open at its outer end, an inner reflecting surface on said closed end of said cylindrical member, and light transmitting material moulded within' said cylindrical member to completely flll said member and'proiecting from said open end thereof to form a convex outer surface.

2. In, a light reflecting unit, a cylindrical member closed at the inner end and open at its outer end, an annular shoulder adjacent the open end of said cylindrical member, inner peripheral threads on said cylindrical member adiacent said annular shoulder, an inner reflecting surface on said closed end of said cylindrical member, and light transmitting material mould ed within said cylindrical member to completely -flll the member and threads and projecting from said openend thereof\ to form a convex outer surface.

3. In a light reflecting unit, a cylindrical member closed at its inner end and openat its outer end, a light reflecting medium on the inner surface of the closed end of said cylindrical member, a light diifusing surface on the inner side portion of said cylindrical member, andgc light transmitting material moulded within-said cylindrical member and projecting from said open end thereof.

' 4. In a light reflecting unit, a cylindrical member having an outwardly rounded inner end and an open outer end, an annular shoulder at'the outer end of said cylindrical member, a light reflecting medium on the inner surface of the closed end of'said-cylindrlcal member, a light difl'usingsurfaoe on-theinnersideportion of saidcylindrica'lmember, anda light trans I mitting material rmoulded-iwithin said cylindrical' member and projecting from said open end thereof.

EDWARD H.3RANBON. 

